[prisoner-rights] The Netherlands: Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee publishes report

Strasbourg, 15.11.2002. - The authorities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
have made public the report of the European Committee for the Prevention of
Torture (CPT) on the visits carried out in February 2002 to the Kingdom in
Europe and to the Netherlands Antilles.

In the Kingdom in Europe, the CPT received no allegations of ill-treatment
by law enforcement officials. Some recommendations were made regarding
conditions of detention in police establishments (e.g., concerning access to
outdoor exercise for remand prisoners) and fundamental safeguards for
persons in police custody (as regards, in particular, access to a lawyer
during the initial period of detention for interrogation purposes). The CPT
reviewed the situation at the Extra Security Prison (EBI) in Vught; it
recommended measures in order to prevent inter-prisoner violence, improve
the regime and define more precisely the conditions under which placement in
this establishment may be extended. Other recommendations were made as
regards the treatment of persons suspected of carrying drugs in corpore,
held at Bloemendaal Special Detention Facility.

During the visit to the Netherlands Antilles, the CPT reviewed the situation
at Bon Futuro Prison in Curacao and visited, for the first time, Pointe
Blanche Prison and the Central Police Station in Sint Maarten. The
conditions of detention in that police station were unacceptable, and the
authorities made a commitment to take measures immediately to remedy this
situation. At Bon Futuro Prison, the material conditions had improved, but a
severe shortage of staff had numerous negative consequences; in particular
inter-prisoner violence and the absence of a regime. Conditions at Pointe
Blanche Prison were generally more favourable, despite critically low
staffing levels.

The report is available on the CPT's website : http://cpt.coe.int


Press Release
Council of Europe Spokesperson and Press Division
Ref: 571a02